14 DAY TRIAL // Security researchers from FireEye have identified a spam campaign that’s used to distribute a variant of the Android malware known as FakeDefender.
The threat is designed to trick Android users into thinking that their devices are infected with malware. In order to remove the so-called infections, victims must register the application by paying a certain fee.
In addition, the fake antivirus is capable of intercepting incoming and outgoing phone calls and text messages.
According to experts, the malware is spread with the aid of bogus USPS emails and fake wedding invitations.
When they click on the links contained in these emails, users are taken to one of many malicious websites set up to serve FakeDefender. The same domains are also used to serve malware to internauts who open the spam emails on their PCs.
Researchers warn that we’ll likely see more of this type of Android malware as cybercriminals continue to come up with sophisticated techniques to achieve their goals.
Additional technical details on this campaign are available on FireEye’s blog.